A popular type of tapping equipment for beer kegs and the like has a keg fitting permanently secured to the keg and passing through the discharge opening of the keg. Valves in the keg fitting prevent escape of beer and air or gas. The keg fitting has a passage for liquid and another passage for gas. The hose connector fitting by which the keg is attached to the distributing system in a tavern has two prongs which slide down in the liquid passage and gas passage to open the check valve for the liquid passage and in some systems to also open the check valve in the gas passage. The hose connector fitting, sometimes referred to as the "tavern fitting", is connected with the keg fitting by a flanged nut which bears against a shoulder on the hose connector fitting and which screws down on a threaded cylindrical surface of the keg fitting. The hose is connected with the upper end of the hose connector fitting by a screwed connection, usually concentric with the flanged nut that holds the fittings together. This means that the eccentric liquid passage through the keg fitting cannot be in alignment with the axis of the screw connection at the upper end of the hose connector fitting unless there is an offset somewhere along the liquid passage.
This invention is constructed so that the liquid passage is straight and in axial alignment with the liquid probe all the way to the top of the beer connector fitting. Alignment with the hose connection which is screwed over the upper end of the beer connector fitting is obtained by having the upper portion of the beer connector fitting eccentric with respect to the axis of the keg fitting and located so as to be coaxial with the liquid passage through the beer connector fitting.
This not only provides for better flow and cleaning of the hose connector fitting, but more importantly it provides space for a counterbore in the upper end of the hose connector fitting so that a check valve can be located in the passage to prevent back flow of beer when changing the hose connector fitting from one keg to another. It also provides space for a retainer for the check valve, all without increasing the height of the fitting or increasing its cost as would result from larger size and more material.
Another important feature of this invention is the construction of the probes so that the lower ends of the probes are substantially thicker than the walls of the tubular portions of the probe. This makes the lower ends of the probes stronger so that they are not easily damaged in case they are dropped. Probes of the prior art have been subject to damage because they have been constructed by merely cutting away a portion of a tube wall to form the contact area at the bottom of the probe which extends into the check valve space of the keg fitting.
The hose connector fitting of this invention provides branch passages from the gas passage which communicates with the keg. In one of the branch passages there is located a connection for a hose to the source of gas pressure; and in the other branch passage there is provision for connecting a pressure relief valve to the gas passage.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear or be pointed out as the description proceeds.